Pivoted surgical retractor



Sept. 13, 1955 J. E. SWINEHEART 2,717,592

PIVOTED SURGICAL RETRACTOR Filed April 12, 1954 \nuenfor JamesEfiw'mehegrf. B [M0, (/MW AWomeu.

United States Patent PIVOTED SURGICAL RETRACTOR James E. Swineheart,Muskegon, Mich, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Medical Specialties, Inc., a corporation ofMichigan Application April 12, 1954, Serial No. 422,469

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-17 This invention relates to surgical instruments ofthe type commonly known as retractors which are for the purpose ofholding open an incision in the flesh during operation.

The device is in the nature of a pair of jaws having teeth which graspthe flesh at the sides of the incision and the jaws may be opened thedesired distance and firmly clamped so that the incision is held open aslong as desired.

The retractor is simple in construction and of light weight so that itwill not hang heavy to distort the flesh. The parts are few in numberand may be easily disassembled for cleaning which is always important insurgical instruments.

The invention is hereafter more fully described, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. l is a plan view of a retractor embodying the invention, one of thejaws being shown open in dotted lines,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the sliding clamp on the line2-2 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the sliding clamp on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the jaw pivot and Fig. is anenlarged fragmentary side view of the jaw pivot.

Like reference numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

The retractor comprises a pair of jaws 1 and 2 each having a straightarm 3 and 4 which are pivotally connected together at their ends. Thefree ends of the jar-s are provided with teeth 5 and 6 which grip theflesh at the sides of the incision.

A sliding clamp has a cam action on the arms 3 and 4 and spreads thejaws 1 and 2 and holds them firmly in the desired position. The clampcomprises upper and lower bars 8 and 9, the ends of which embrace therespective arms 1 and 2. One of the bars 8 has two projecting roundnosed studs 10 which enter holes 11 in the other bar 9 to properly alignthe bars relative to each other and a knurled headed clamping screw 12passes through a ho e in the bar 8 and is screwed into a threaded holein the bar 9.

The arms 3 and 4 are arranged in inclined relation to each other and thearm 4 is bent at 13 near its end Where it approaches the arm 3 to whichit is pivoted. The end of one arm 3 is flattened at 14 and the end ofthe other arm 4 is slotted at 15 to receive the flattened portion and apivot pin 16 passes through both parts. This provides a simple pivotconstruction with no projections and which is easy to clean.

The inner surfaces of the bars 8 and 9 near the ends which straddle thearm 3 are provided with straight grooves 17 to receive the arm 3. Theinner faces of the other ends of the bars 8 and 9 which embrace the arm4 are also provided with grooves 18 to receive the arm 4 but since thisarm 4 changes its angularity in ditferent positions of the clamping bars8 and 9, the grooves 18 must be shaped to receive the arm 4 in anyposition it assumes in its different positions of adjustment. The shapeof these grooves is preferably the size of the cross section of the arm4 at the longitudinal center of the bar and the groove tapers outwardlyfrom the center toward both side edges of the bar.

In use, the jaws 1 and 2 are closed with the clamping bars 8 and 9 slidon the arms 3 and 4 away from the pivot 16. The teeth 5 and 6 areinserted in the incision in the flesh and the jaws are then opened asfar as necessary to open the incision as desired. This opening of thejaws is accomplished by sliding the clamp, with the clamping screw 12released, toward the pivot 16. In this movement, the bars 8 and 9 movesmoothly with their grooves 1'7 embracing the arm 3 and the taperedgrooves 18 at the other ends of the bars exert a cam action on the arm4, which is inclined to the arm 3, causing it to swing away from the arm3 and open the jaws 1 and 2. When the jaws have been opened, the desireddistance the clamping screw 12 is tightened forcing the bars 8 and 9toward each other and firmly gripping the arms 3 and 4 holding themrigidly in the set position.

Closing of the jaws is done by reversal of the above movements and whenthe retractor is removed from the incision the clamping screw iscompletely unscrewed from the bar 9 and the bars separated and when thusdisassembled, the parts may be easily and thoroughly sterilized.

The parts are light in weight so that in use and when released from thehand of the operator, it will not hang heavy on the flesh. The shapes ofthe arms and jaws provide wide clearance for operation in the incisionand the retractor is easy to handle by the surgeon.

The invention is defined by the appended claims which are to beconsidered comprehensive of all forms coming within their score.

I claim:

1. A pivoted surgical retractor comprising two arcuate jaws each havingan arm extending therefrom, said arms being movably joined together attheir ends remote from the jaws and being inclined relative to eachother and a sliding clamp embracing said arms at its respective ends,said clamp being slidable on said arms and having releasable means forrigidly clamping upon said arms in adjusted positions, said slidingclamp comprising two separable bars slidably embracing at theirrespective ends said arms, said bars having on their inner surfacesinwardly facing grooves to receive said arms, means on the bars foraligning said bars relative to each other and a removable set screwinterengaging said bars and acting to clamp the bars upon the arms,whereby moving the clamp upon the bars varies the distance between thejaws.

2. The elements of claim 1 in which the grooves which embrace one armare straight and have a diameter substantially the same as that of thearm which they embrace and the grooves which embrace the other arm haveportions wider than the arm they embrace, whereby the angular positionof the arm is accommodated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,450,419 Heidbrink Apr. 3, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 40,267 Germany Aug. 6,1887

